Scoring star ... Manchester United's teenage mid-fielder Adnan Januzaj (centre) was the hero as the Red Devils came from behind to win at Sunderland.

AFP: Ian MacNicol

Manchester United unearthed a sparkling gem to lighten the early-season gloom, Adnan Januzaj striking twice in a 2-1 win at Sunderland on Sunday (AEDT) after resurgent Liverpool stormed to the top of the Premier League.

Liverpool fans were celebrating a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace, Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard scoring, and their day seemed about to get even better as arch-rivals United trailed at bottom club Sunderland in the day's late kick-off.

W

D

L

Pts

Liverpool

5

1

1

16

Arsenal

5

0

1

15

Manchester City

4

1

2

13

Tottenham

4

1

1

13

Everton

3

3

1

12

Chelsea

3

2

1

11

Southampton

3

2

1

11

Hull City

3

2

2

11

Manchester United

3

1

3

10

Aston Villa

3

1

3

10

Newcastle

3

1

3

10

West Bromwich

2

2

2

8

Cardiff City

2

2

3

8

Swansea City

2

1

3

7

Norwich City

2

1

3

7

Stoke City

2

1

4

7

Fulham

2

1

4

7

West Ham

1

2

3

5

Crystal Palace

1

0

6

3

Sunderland

0

1

6

1

The champions seemed to be heading to a third consecutive Premiership defeat for the first time in 12 years after Craig Gardner had given Sunderland a deserved first-half lead but 18-year-old Januzaj, given a first league start by David Moyes, spared their blushes.

He slotted home a 55th-minute equaliser and produced a sumptuous left-foot volley six minutes later to seal three welcome points for a United side experiencing its worst start to a season since 1989.

Victory moved United up to ninth with 10 points from seven games, six behind Liverpool who seemed set for a goal avalanche against Palace after netting three times in the first half.

Manager Moyes has been looking for some respite after consecutive league defeats by Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion and a none-too-convincing draw against Shakhtar Donetsk and he was rewarded for his decision to offer Januzaj a chance.

"I think a few players tonight should be worried about their positions," former United goal-keeper Peter Schmeichel told Sky Sports.

"We've seen something special."

Januzaj, who has Kosovar-Albanian heritage but is wanted by Belgium, turned the game United's way after a first half which again illustrated their early-season woes.

I think a few players tonight should be worried about their positions. We've seen something special.

Former Manchester United keeper Peter Schmeichel

United defender Nemanja Vidic got himself in a tangle to gift Gardner the chance to shoot Sunderland ahead and only a great save by David De Gea from a powerful Emanuele Giaccherini effort stopped them falling further behind by half-time.

Ten minutes after the interval Januzaj, who eclipsed Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney throughout, calmly fired in his equaliser.

Six minutes later, he locked his eyes on a superb Nani cross and unleashed a hip-high volley into the corner of the net, lifting a hefty weight off United in the process.

"He is a wonderful player, he is someone who we think a lot of. I have tried to get him in the team over the last few weeks but for various reasons it did not happen," said Moyes.

"At the moment we scored, we needed it but I wasn't getting too low. I thought it was exciting and I enjoyed it today."

Top of the table all Reds

Liverpool lead Arsenal by a point and the Londoners can regain top spot on Monday at West Bromwich.

Suarez put Liverpool in front on 13 minutes, receiving Jose Enrique's cut-back and sliding home a finish despite lying on the turf after losing his balance.

It was his second goal in as many games in the wake of his suspension for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last season.

Hart was again at fault after 16 minutes when he failed to keep out Romelu Lukaku's low left-foot shot.

It took just a minute for City to find an equaliser, Yaya Toure working an angle on the edge of the box to find Negredo's run and the Spaniard slipped his shot beneath keeper Tim Howard.

Aguero put City ahead just before the interval when David Silva fed the Argentine on the right of the area and the striker shot low past Howard into the far corner.

City got its third when Pablo Zabaleta was impeded by Seamus Coleman and Howard tipped Aguero's penalty on to the post only for the ball to bounce back, hit the keeper on the head and roll into the net.